wp_add_dashboard_widget( string $widget_id, string $widget_name, callable $callback, callable $control_callback = null, array $callback_args = null, string $context = ‘normal’, string $priority = ‘core’ )

User Contributed Notes

1. Skip to note 7 content

   Codex 9 years ago

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   Adding dashboard widgets
   Here is a simple dashboard widget:

   /**
    * Add a new dashboard widget.
    */
   function wpdocs_add_dashboard_widgets() {
   	wp_add_dashboard_widget( 'dashboard_widget', 'Example Dashboard Widget', 'dashboard_widget_function' );
   }
   add_action( 'wp_dashboard_setup', 'wpdocs_add_dashboard_widgets' );
   
   /**
    * Output the contents of the dashboard widget
    */
   function dashboard_widget_function( $post, $callback_args ) {
   	esc_html_e( "Hello World, this is my first Dashboard Widget!", "textdomain" );
   }
2. Skip to note 8 content

   Codex 9 years ago

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   Running dashboard widgets
   To run the function use this code:

   do_action( 'wp_dashboard_setup' );
3. Skip to note 9 content

   Codex 9 years ago

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   Adding widgets onto the side
   The function doesn’t allow you to choose where you want your widget to go and will automatically add it to the “core” which is the left side. However you are able to get it on the right side very easily.

   You can use the add_meta_box() function instead of wp_add_dashboard_widget. Simply specify ‘dashboard’ in place of the $post_type. For example:

   add_meta_box( 'id', 'Dashboard Widget Title', 'dash_widget', 'dashboard', 'side', 'high' );
4. Skip to note 10 content

   Beda 3 years ago

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   The doc above states:

   $callback_args
   (array) (Optional) Data that should be set as the $args property of the widget array (which is the second parameter passed to your callback).
   Default value: null

   For anyone wondering what the first parameter of that call-back is, it is the current screen object.
   If used on the dashboard (which widgets will be), then that parameter returns an empty value.
   This is because the dashboard has no screen object.
   See also https://wordpress.org/support/topic/what-is-the-first-parameter-passed-to-wp_add_dashboard_widget-callback/
5. Skip to note 11 content

   Anonymous User 5 years ago

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   As noted in comment #714, wp_add_dashboard_widget() does not offer a great deal of flexibility to position a widget on the dashboard; however, it is possible to add a widget to a specific dashboard column relying on add_meta_box() and its $context parameter.

   The example below removes all core dashboard widgets and adds a custom one to the third dashboard column (tested ltr only). It looks odd, but it proves the point. 🙃

   <?php
   namespace Exampledashboard;
   
   add_action( 'wp_dashboard_setup', __NAMESPACE__ . 'wp_dashboard_setup' );
   
   /**
    * Remove core widhets and add widget to Dashboard in third column.
    * @see https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/add_meta_box/
    */
   function wp_dashboard_setup() {
   
   	// Remove Welcome panel.
   	remove_action( 'welcome_panel', 'wp_welcome_panel' );
   
   	// Remove all Dashboard widgets.
   	global $wp_meta_boxes;
   	unset( $wp_meta_boxes['dashboard'] );
   
   	// Add custom dashbboard widget.
   	add_meta_box( 'dashboard_widget_example',
   		__( 'Example Widget', 'example-text-domain' ),
   		__NAMESPACE__ . 'render_example_widget',
   		'dashboard',
   		'column3',  // $context: 'advanced', 'normal', 'side', 'column3', 'column4'
   		'high',     // $priority: 'high', 'core', 'default', 'low'
   	);
   }
   
   /**
    * Render widget.
    */
   function render_example_widget() {
   ?>
   	<p>Do something.</p>
   <?php
   }
6. Skip to note 12 content

   nlpro 2 years ago

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   Note that if a plugin implements i18n (internationalization/translation) the $widget_name parameter value needs to be passed to the function using a translation function. Example:

   wp_add_dashboard_widget( $widget_id, __( 'This is a translated widget title', 'example-plugin' ), … );